Operation Wean Judah: Postscript

So it's been a while since Judah's last breast-feeding session (FOR THE REST OF HIS LIFE!)

I think he had his last sip-o-the-boob 4 or 5 weeks ago and it was so anti-climactically uneventful (and I was so swamped with work) that I completely neglected to blog about it.

I had built up all this anticipation and anxiety and in the end, he let it go without a fuss, or even a whimper.  All the things I had worried and fretted about for months, were completely unfounded in the end. 

My first fear was--how the heck is he going to go to sleep without the boob?!  Literally since the day he was born, his bedtime was preceded by breast-feeding until he fell soundly asleep.  It's worked so well for us (well, frankly, I kinda hated always having to be the one to put him down, but that aside, it's worked well), I was always loathe to change things up.

But that night I told him boo-boo was still owie and he immediately opted for the boob-replacement, a bottle of cow's milk.  And that was that.  He didn't fall asleep while drinking the bottle, but I held him for a while in the rocking chair and he fell asleep soon thereafter.

My second fear was--I'll never have that close cuddling time with my squirmy wormy baby ever again.  Seriously our times of breastfeeding were the only times he would sit still for more than 5 seconds.

But that fear was unfounded as well.  He lets me hold and cuddle him while I give him his bottle of cow's milk.  In fact, he requests that I cradle him by saying "Rock-a-baby!"  And there is that long snuggle/holding time as he falls asleep in my arms every night.

And so we've moved on.  Sort of.

Everyday, at some point, Judah will stick his hand down my shirt and say "Boo-boo okay?"  (Translation:  Hey mom, is your boob okay now?  Can I finally get a sip or what?)

But I remind him it's still owie and he accepts the bottle uncomplainingly.

And most surprising to me, I don't miss it at all--not even a little bit.